Mirror, mirror on the wall–it’s time for your second spray paint makeover!

I feel like I am currently working and making over every room in my house right now. Truth is I am just trying to finish and actually decorate most of our house. So you will be seeing lots of projects and a few rooms you have never seen before over the next several months.

5 years ago ( I blogged about it then on my old coupon blog), I found this mirror at a yard sale for $10 (pardon the horrible next few pictures.) Too funny as I found this picture because all 3 of these items are now in my guest room after being all over the house over the years – the candlesticks, metal wall piece and the mirror.

It has a plastic-type frame, but it is ornate and beautiful and the mirror is beveled so it is a pretty piece! Back then I spray painted it Oil Rubbed Bronze and then rubbed some bronze rub-n-buff over it to bring out the details.

I used it for several years over the mantel, but recently it was just being stored and was the perfect piece to pull out and use over the dresser in my guest room. After it went through another makeoever!

I was able to slide newspaper under the frame along the edges so no taping off and this mirror was easy to prep to paint.

After several coats of Rustoleum white gloss spray paint here was the new look.

So much better!

But I wasn’t quite done… Did you know that you can use sandpaper to distress something even if you spray painted it? You totally can! I have done this with candlesticks and several things. Trying to paint this frame with a brush would have made a huge mess – drips, and runs as I tried to get in all those detailed spots – so spray paint gave me a clean/smooth finish.

Here’s the frame before – you can see the details, but they sort of just hide.

And here’s the frame after distressing with some medium-fine sandpaper, just lightly sanding along the exposed/raised parts. Everything sort of pops and you can see the detail much better. And it looks like it could be an old wood/antique frame instead a plastic-type frame.

I hung it over the dresser in my guest room using a monkey hook (I love those things!) Even though this mirror is still a bit heavy and large one little monkey hook holds it well and no huge holes in the wall from trying to do a screw and anchor.

The dresser in this room is on the list to paint – the streaky gold and white finish has needed to go for many years. Not sure yet what color I will paint it – either white or a very light gray. This is my childhood French Provincial dresser purchased secondhand back then. As a child I always loved the “C pattern” on the front of the drawers because my name begins with a “C” so it was like my initials were on my dresser. It will look amazing once it is finally painted in one shade of color – I have no idea what was so big about this white and gold streaked finish back in the 70’s or 80’s

So don’t be afraid to change up your décor to fit your changing style! Look around the house and see what you could paint or spray paint to fit where you are needing something.

I just LOVE this mirrorknow and it looks more like an antique type mirror with a weathered wood frame than a cheap remake.

I will show you a few more pieces in the room I recently got a yard sales and gave a little makeover on Friday. I just love how this room is turning out!

Hey Christina,
I love the mirror makeover….what a transformation! Can’t wait to see the guest bedroom reveal, as well as the decorating projects you are working on – you always have such great ideas! I love the dresser from your childhood….I like the ideas for white (love the dresser you’ve already repainted!) or a light gray, but I also think a dark gray might look good in there, to contrast against the light gray walls, as well as with all of the white. Just a thought….. Thanks for sharing!
Blessings,
Lanita

I really love how this looks with the distressed white frame! It looks really charming, and totally suits your decor. I never find anything awesome like that at secondhand stores, and I’ve been looking for a month. I bet I’ll only find one like that online.

Giving it a weathered look is a good way to have a realistic rustic style mirror without having to get a really old one. I love this sort of look, and would love to do it to my own mirror. Right now, my mirror probably is getting close to need to be redone.